Source: Fortune
Summary
Lumen Technologies CEO Kate Johnson said at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit that companies must now rely on external partnerships for decision-making, rather than internal leadership alone. She described building a “machine” for constant course-correction, using signals and expert input. IBM’s 2026 CEO Study found 80% of AI-first CEOs engage external partners to discuss risk and build on strengths. Boston Consulting Group noted that 60% of business leaders see partnerships as more important for growth than mergers and acquisitions. Lumen partnered with EY in 2025 to advance AI-driven networking, with EY CEO Janet Truncale describing the collaboration as a result of a spontaneous connection.
Our Reading
The numbers tell one story.
CEOs are leaning on outside experts more than ever.
Partnerships replace old hierarchies.
Collaboration is now a core function.
Trust is built in breakfast lines.
Author: Evan Null
CEO Collaboration in a Shifting Landscape
As geopolitical tensions and the AI revolution reshape the business world, executives are redefining how leadership works. Traditional boardroom dynamics are giving way to more open, collaborative models. Lumen Technologies CEO Kate Johnson highlighted this shift during a recent speech, emphasizing the need for companies to move beyond internal decision-making and embrace external partnerships.
Johnson described the old model as one where leaders were expected to have all the answers. Today, the pace of change makes that impossible. Instead, she said, companies must build “machines” for decision-making that incorporate signals, hypotheses, and expert input from both inside and outside the organization.
IBM’s 2026 CEO Study supports this view, showing that 80% of AI-first CEOs now rely on external networks to discuss risk and build on each other’s strengths. This shift is driven by the rapid evolution of AI and the need for faster, more flexible decision-making.
As mergers and acquisitions slow, companies are turning to strategic alliances. A Boston Consulting Group report found that 60% of business leaders expect partnerships to be more important for growth than M&A in the next three to five years.
Lumen’s partnership with EY exemplifies this trend. The two companies formed a strategic alliance in 2025 to advance AI-driven networking, with Lumen as the first client. The relationship began with a spontaneous conversation at a Business Roundtable event, showing how personal connections can lead to major business collaborations.
